


When you smile

by psychotrashdump



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, No Drama, No Miscommunication, Not Canon Compliant, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25219099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotrashdump/pseuds/psychotrashdump
Summary: For some reason Cai Xukun thinks everything Zhu Zhengting does is cute and realizes belatedly that he has a crush.Details changed for my convenience.
Relationships: Cai Xukun/Zhu Zhengting | Jung Jung
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I altered things for my convenience. Do not expect full accuracy. Thank you~

Zhengting was cute. Objectively. Everyone knew it. Practically a fact really. With his soft cheeks and fluffy hair.

Xukun already knew that Zhengting was cute, which is why he couldn't understand why the thought has to pop into his head whenever Zhengting so much as breathes.

Laughing? Cute.

That one smile that makes his eyes curve into crescents? So pretty.

Flushed after doing five different flips in a row? Absolutely adorable.

“Isn’t he amazing?”

He’s startled out of his thoughts, glancing sideways to see Linong watching Zhengting appreciatively, “I think I would break my spine if I tried that.”

Right. His dancing. Focus on the dancing. “I could never do that,” Xukun agreed, “it really does take a different type of training and discipline.”

Linong nodded, “Flexibility too. His body’s so bendable.”

Xukun feels his mouth go dry at the outwardly innocent remark, and is suddenly proud of his ability to keep his expression under control. He grunts in agreement and makes a vague statement about needing water, fleeing to the other side of the room and trying to tame his quickly wandering thoughts.

~

None of this is his fault. If anyone is to blame it should be Zhengting for deciding to wear glasses. Who the fuck wears glasses to dance practice anyway?

It’s hardly Xukun's fault that his brain decided to focus on that stupid piece of metal and glass, as if it needed to recatalog the visual of Zhengting doing _completely normal actions_ simply because he happened to be wearing something on his face.

Great. Another item to add to his archive of things he shouldn’t care this much about.

_Zhengting laughing._

_Zhengting smiling._

_Zhengting wearing glasses._

He looked over to where Zhengting was talking to Justin, feeling his heart stutter when Zhengting smiled, eyes curving into crescents and teeth glinting slightly in the light,

_Zhengting smiling while wearing glasses._

Xukun might as well call it a day at this point. Now that the structured part of class was over, there was no mentor around to call his attention away from the very real distraction that was Zhengting. He wasn't even aware he had a thing for glasses until now.

Xukun seriously wasn’t going to get jack shit done if he kept glancing in Zhengting's direction instead of watching his own facial expressions in the mirror.

It's just that Zhengting looked so cute when dancing. So adorable without even trying.

Maybe that was it. Maybe he was just a bit jealous. Or worried that Zhengting's look may suit the song more than him. 

So it was just competitiveness then. It was just his competitive nature that had him studying Zhengting's every move. 

Content with that explanation, he focused back onto his reflection and went through the dance again.

~

This is a competition. It’s completely normal to be scoping out the competition. 

This excuse holds water whenever Xukun finds himself staring at Zhengting in the practice room or even tracking him with his eyes during performances. Purely professional interest. Absolutely defensible. 

This excuse, however, loses all credibility when he finds his gaze straying towards Zhengting while they’re eating dinner.

Xukun feels this inexplicable fondness as he watches Zhengting out of the corner of his eye. Seeing his eyes light up everytime he tries something he likes. Or that fond but exasperated look he wears as Chengcheng enthusiastically recounts his day while his mouth is full of food.

Xukun's heart twists almost painfully when he catches Zhengting pouting, his nose wrinkling slightly as Justin pawns vegetables onto his plate. His disapproval melting into a smile when Justin gives him puppy eyes.

He focuses on his plate in an attempt to distract himself, but all roads lead back to Zhengting, and Xukun's thoughts wander back to Zhengting's first assessment. He remembered how gracefully Zhengting had danced on that stage, how Xukun wasn’t sure who he envied when Zhengting reached out and grasped Zhang PD’s hand.

There it was again, that painful twist of his heart.

Is this feeling where the phrase “excruciatingly beautiful” comes from? Beauty so extreme that the sheer intensity of laying your eyes upon it is painful. Pleasure in viewing, but painful in the realization that you are simply a viewer. That you couldn’t touch. Smell. Taste. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts, focusing back on the present and wondering whether he should write that internal monologue down. Those could actually make good song lyrics. 

That’s it! Maybe it wasn’t professional interest, but artistic interest. Zhengting was a muse, serving as inspiration for Xukun's work. That’s why he was so drawn to Zhengting, not for his beauty on stage, but for his beauty in general.

He felt lighter now that his thoughts were sorted out, more at ease now that he had an empty mind and another page full of notes he would rework into lyrics later on. 

~

For a while Xukun thought he was content just watching Zhengting, having their small daily interactions, and then moving on. 

That was before the other Yuehua kids made it a habit to stop by and practically catcall Zhengting constantly while he was dancing. 

Xukun felt a spark of annoyance. This late in the day there was usually only 3-4 people left in the practice room. They would practice until either he or Zhengting asked the other when they planned to head back, an unspoken invitation to walk back to their dorm together.

They had walked back together everyday for weeks, Zhengting eventually making a habit of grasping Xukun's arm lightly as they made their way through the dark hallways. Despite living in separate rooms, Xukun always walked Zhengting all the way to his room before parting for the night.

Not anymore apparently. Recently the Yuehua kids took to coming in about an hour before when they usually left and pestering Zhengting until he agreed to leave with them. Zhengting must have caught the slight flash of annoyance in Xukun's expression this time, because he smiled sheepishly, “They’re worried that I might be overworking myself,” he explained.

Xukun smiled, “That’s very sweet of them.” His momentary irritation giving away to fondness at the kids’ thoughtfulness.

An almost proud look colors Zhengting’s features, “It is. I’m lucky to have them in my life.”

His positive impression, however, diminished slightly when they begin their usual routine of shouting compliments from the sidelines.

“Wah~ So handsome.”

“Gege’s so cool.”

“How can you look pretty even after dancing for so long?”

"I think I'm in love."

"Make us breakfast tomorrow?"

Zhengting shakes his head and smiles, a familiar mix of fondness and exasperation on his face as he walked up to greet them.

“Okay, okay, I’m done for today. I’m going to stay and stretch for a bit, but I promise I’ll be right back to the dorms after okay?”

Xukun pauses his routine to view the interaction through the mirror, kneeling to pretend he’s tying his shoe.

“You guys are just as bad as I am!” Zhengting exclaims, half teasing, half scolding, “Waking up early to practice is just as sleep depriving as staying up late to practice.”

After a few more exchanges, the boys shuffle out the door, leaving him and Zhengting alone again.

He makes eye contact with Zhengting in the mirror, “You’re staying this time?”

Zhengting sat down next to Xukun and began stretching, “Only for a bit longer,” he replied, gaze flickering briefly up to meet Xukun's eyes, “Will you be practicing by yourself?”

Xukun gave a charming smile, “Nope, I’ll be walking you home.”

Zhengting ducked his head in embarrassment, his ears turning slightly red. 

He’s so cute when he’s flustered.

Xukun pretended not to notice, smirking inwardly while continuing to make small talk, “Is it distracting to have people staring at you when you’re practicing?”

Zhengting didn’t look up at him, opting to fiddle nervously with the fabric of his pants instead, “I’d hardly call that staring, they were just watching.”

Xukun snorted in amusement, “Their eyes were practically glued to you.”

Zhengting let out a puff of laughter, glancing up at Xukun with a playful glint in his eyes, “By that metric I’d say you stare at me quite often then.” he remarked boldly.

Xukun smirked, reaching and brushing his fingers lightly against Zhengting's hair, “You’re so pretty, how could I not stare?”

He’s rewarded when Zhengting flushes pink, his mouth dropping open slightly and his momentary boldness gone. He stutters briefly before snapping his mouth shut and deciding not to attempt speech.

Xukun walks Zhengting home. Zhengting’s hand still curled shyly in his elbow.

He’s no longer annoyed when Zhengting’s kids come by and shout compliments. After all, none of their words seem to affect Zhengting like his did.

Xukun stopped mid movement and replayed that thought in his head. Why would any of this matter? Why would he care about these seemingly trivial things?

He almost smacked himself for his own obliviousness when the obvious became obvious. Screw professional and artistic interest, he had a goddamn crush. 

How could he not notice? His internal rants could be printed out and people would think they were excerpts from some cheesy romance novel. 

Logically he knew this wasn’t the best time to get distracted. He still needed to get things done. Needed to practice his dancing. His rapping. His stage charisma.

But, when all that was done and he lay in bed, all he wanted to do was see that pretty blush on Zhengting’s face again.


	2. Chapter 2

One would think finally coming to the realization that the tumultuous feelings were simply a crush would calm his mind.

But nooooooooo, now that Xukun realized he had a crush on one of his best friends and current roommate it seemed like everything was amplified.

Now that they had debuted together, Zhengting was always within eyeshot, within earshot, and every smile, every word, every goddamn movement seemed to catch Xukun's eye, causing his brain to go into an obligatory state of doting adoration.

It really was difficult to maintain a cool demeanor when he was overcome with a giddy feeling every single time Zhengting so much as breathed in his direction.

Right now, however, he would almost prefer the giddiness. Xukun ground his teeth together, a muted rage working it's way through his veins as he watched Zhengting have a conversation with some guy who was practically hanging off of him.

His annoyance towards himself piqued when he realized that not only was he jealous, but that jealousy was extremely petty and childish.

Be an adult, he chided himself, simply go over and join the conversation, or pull Zhengting away from the conversation. There was no need to brood like some angsty teenager.

He assumed a confident smile and walked over, coming into earshot just in time to hear the admiration saturating Zhengting’s voice as he complimented the other on how nice they looked all dressed up. He pushed down the urge to send the compliment’s recipient a glare, opting instead to sling his arm around Zhengting’s shoulders, removing him from the other man’s grip in the process.

Xukun gave his signature smile, exhibiting a confidence bordering on arrogance, and greeted the stranger, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Cai Xukun, the one blessed enough to be sharing a room with this one for the next two years.”

The man turned to him with a frown, and Xukun felt a flash of irritation that he was tall enough to look down on him. That irritation almost seeped into his outward demeanor when the man simply nodded and turned his gaze back to Zhengting with a smile.

“Call me when you get bored okay Zhengzheng? I’d love it if we could dance together again sometime.”

Zhengting smiled, “Of course.”

Xukun watched the retreating figure, upset for a grand total of about 20 seconds before he felt Zhengting lean into him, smiling up at him with gratitude.

“Thanks for cutting in, he means well but he really can talk forever.”

Xukun dropped his arm from Zhengting’s shoulders in favor wrapping it around his waist and guiding him away from the crowds and towards their dorms.

“You’re too polite,” he chided gently, “entertaining people despite being exhausted.”

Zhengting hummed lightly, looking more relaxed now that they were away from the people and the noise, “Aren’t you the same? Taking the time to walk me back to my room every night despite being just as tired as I am.”

Xukun snorted, “We live together, of course I’ll be walking your way.”

Zhengting elbowed him lightly, “You know that’s not what I meant,” he pouted, “you walked with me almost every night even when we weren’t living together.”

“Of course,” Xukun answered, saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the word, “When else would I get to be alone with you?”

Zhengting ducked his head in an attempt to hide his blush, wriggling out of Xukun's grip to unlock the door. Still flustered, he fumbled with the keys, sending a nervous jangling sound into the still night air.

At this point Xukun was 99% sure Zhengting had some sort of feelings towards him, and 100% done with playing the waiting game. He figured now was as good a time as any, and he might as well to go for it.

“Do you like me?”

Zhengting yelped, dropping the keys and spinning around to face Xukun, the sound of metal clanking against concrete deafening in the silence.

He stared at Xukun, an adorably startled look on his face.

“I….of course I like you!” he stuttered, “You’re a kind and caring person who’s also a very talented performer, everyone likes you……”

His voice died out as Xukun took another step forward, one hand planting itself next to Zhengting’s head on the wall and the other coming to a rest against his hip, effectively trapping Zhengting against the door.

“Do you like me?” Xukun asked again, faces so close that Zhengting could feel warmth ghost across his cheeks when Xukun spoke.

Zhengting became hyperaware of his heartbeat, feeling the erratic rhythm pick up as he tried to look anywhere but Xukun's face.

“I…...notice you more than other people,” he stuttered out quietly, “every time I’m around you I feel happy and I work harder because I want to impress you.”

Xukun chuckled quietly, moving the hand against the wall to the side of Zhengting’s face and lightly threading his fingers through his hair, “Go on.”

Zhengting continued to stare resolutely at the ground, his cheeks reddening. “I get this feeling in my chest when I watch you perform,” he continued, “and again whenever you smile at me. When you-”

His breath hitched when he felt Xukun’s grip on his waist tighten, the feeling of his fingertips pressing through the thin fabric of Zhengting’s shirt making his head go blank.

Xukun tilted his head, smirking, “Mmm, not gonna finish that sentence?”

“W-when you first complimented me,” Zhengting continued, voice almost inaudible, “I thought my heart would jump out of my chest. T-then you kept doing it, and-” His eyes flickered up to meet Xukun’s gaze before immediately focusing on the ground again, “and I never heard you compliment other people in that way. A selfish part of me hoped you never said those things to anyone else.”

Xukun moved his hand down to Zhengting’s neck, thumb gently brushing over his jawline, “What kind of things?”

‘That I was, um, that, you know…….” Zhengting stammered, shivering slightly when Xukun caressed his cheek.

Xukun laughed, “That your very existence is cute and you have abs to die for? Don’t worry, those words are for your ears only. Anything else you’d like to tell me?”

Zhengting’s breathing turned shallow, face turning impossibly redder, “I…...when………….” he swallowed, squirming under Xukun’s touch, “w-whenever we were in the practice room together...I, um, I………...…..amactuallyreallytiredcouldwedothistomorrow?”

Xukun chuckled, “Not a chance princess, finish that sentence for me?”

Zhengting buried his face in his hands, anxiety and embarrassment making his limbs feel weak. “I…” he began again, “whenever we were alone…..……part of me……..wished….hoped…..that you would kiss me.” he finished, voice barely a whisper.

Xukun felt his heart skip a beat, did he hear that correctly?

“Look at me.” He ordered, voice coming out harsher than he intended.

Zhengting flinched slightly, peeking at Xukun through his fingers. Xukun shook his head, reaching out to gently pull Zhengting’s heads away from his face, “No. I want you to say that again. And I want to be able to see your face this time.”

Xukun released his grip on Zhengting’s wrists and tilted his chin upward so that their eyes met, “Tell me again,” he said, voice softer than before, “tell me what you want me to do.”

Zhengting could feel himself trembling, but he didn’t glance away, looking Xukun straight in the eye when he spoke, voice still barely above a whisper, “I want you to kiss me.”

“You only had to ask,” Xukun murmured, moving his hand to cup Zhengting’s neck and bringing their lips together. The kiss was soft. Gentle.

Xukun pulled back and let his eyes roam over Zhengting’s face. He looked completely wrecked, his face flushed and his carefully styled hair messy and falling into his eyes. He leaned in again, pressing a kiss to the edge of Zhengting’s mouth before moving to brush his lips against Zhengting’s neck.

He felt Zhengting instintively tilt his head back, exposing his neck. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Xukun asked, lips brushing against Zhengting’s skin as he spoke. Zhengting’s breath hitched, clinging tighter to the back of Xukun’s shirt as he sucked lightly at the skin of Zhengting’s neck.

“You never seemed to notice me,” Zhengting answered, his voice breathy, “I was a mess around you, and you were so calm that I thought you were either too polite to point out my weirdness or just never noticed.”

Xukun scoffed, “I was too much of a mess myself to notice until recently.”

Zhengting met Xukun’s gaze, surprise evident on his face, “Really? But….you’re always so put together. So unaffected.”

Xukun’s gaze darkened, pressing Zhengting more firmly against the wall and tugging not so gently at his hair, causing Zhengting’s lips to part in a gasp. “Do you even realize the effect you have on me?” he growled, “It physically hurts me to be around you.”

Xukun pressed closer, his breath ghosting against Zhengting’s lips as he spoke, “When you smile.” he murmured, “When you laugh. My chest feels tight and I can’t breathe. There was a constant ache in my chest, because you were so close, yet I couldn’t reach out and touch you.”

Xukun closed the distance, coiling his arm around Zhengting’s waist to pull their bodies against each other. There was nothing gentle about the kiss this time. Xukun’s teeth leaving Zhengting’s lips swollen and his grip leaving bruises against Zhengting’s skin.

Zhengting was sure his grasp on Xukun’s shirt would leave abrasions in the delicate fabric, yet he couldn’t bring himself to care, giving into the sensations flooding him and letting his thoughts scatter.

Xukun gave him one last kiss, slow and soft, before attaching his lips to Zhengting’s skin again, sucking harder this time. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

He pulled back, a smile equal parts smug and satisfied playing across his face. “There you go, everyone will know you’re mine now.”

“How do you say things like that out loud?” Zhengting whined, burying his face against Xukun’s chest in an effort to hide his embarrassment. Xukun laughed, gently extricating himself from Zhengting’s grasp and stooping down to pick up the forgotten keys.

Zhengting watched Xukun as he unlocked the door and entered their room, feeling coherence return to his thoughts as the oxytocin rush faded. “You know I probably have to cover these marks before I leave the room tomorrow right?”

Xukun turned to face Zhengting, a pout on his face, “Can’t the makeup team do that for you?”

Zhengting felt his face go red again, “I-I can’t do that! We’re going to see the others first and they’re going to see-” he gestured vaguely to his neck, the marks barely visible in the dim lighting.

Xukun laughed, light and carefree, before hugging Zhengting from behind and pulling him back until they both flopped down on the bed.

“Who cares if they see?”

Zhengting rolled over to face Xukun, “There are children in the group!” he yelped, sounding scandalized. Xukun was almost disappointed he couldn’t see Zhengting’s expression in the darkness.

Xukun kissed Zhengting on the nose, “Don’t worry love, I’ll help you cover any visible marks tomorrow morning. Sleep now?”

“Sounds wonderful,” Zhengting mumbled, snuggling closer to Xukun, “Go on a date with me tomorrow?”

Xukun stroked Zhengting’s hair fondly, a content smile on his face.

“Anything for you my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed~

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heg-W8Wrx-0
> 
> Zhu Zhengting's assessment in case you haven't seen it.


End file.
